Fallsburg misses teacher evaluation plan deadline, loses state aid

FALLSBURG — The Fallsburg School District likely lost as much as $500,000 in anticipated state aid overnight because it did not file a teacher evaluation plan on time.

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By Pauline Liu

recordonline.com

By Pauline Liu

Posted Jan. 18, 2013 at 2:00 AM
Updated Jan 18, 2013 at 7:41 AM

By Pauline Liu

Posted Jan. 18, 2013 at 2:00 AM
Updated Jan 18, 2013 at 7:41 AM

» Social News

FALLSBURG — The Fallsburg School District likely lost as much as $500,000 in anticipated state aid overnight because it did not file a teacher evaluation plan on time.

The Sullivan County district was one of four — including New York City, which has more than 1 million students — that missed the midnight Thursday deadline for filing a plan with the state.

"While anything is possible, I do not think we will be submitting a plan before midnight," said Ivan Katz, Fallsburg superintendent. The district does not have an evaluation agreement or a ratified contract with the teachers union. The teachers' contract expired June 30.

The other districts without evaluation plans are Buffalo and North Greenbush. Out of more than 700 school districts statewide, all but the four in question had reached agreements with their unions and staff over how to evaluate their teachers and principals.

Some observers held out hope for an extension. No deal, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

"Please hear me — there will be no extensions or exceptions," Cuomo said Thursday. "The remaining districts and their unions have until midnight tonight to do the same or they will forfeit the increase in education aid they have been counting on, and both parties will have failed the children they serve."

Fallsburg is the only district in the mid-Hudson without an approved plan. It has an enrollment of about 1,400 students. Meanwhile, the Onteora School District managed to receive approval from the state Education Department on Thursday, just in the nick of time. According to Superintendent Phyllis McGill, $70,000 in extra state aid was at stake.

"Thank you all for your hard work during this thoughtful and arduous process," said McGill in an email to staff and administrators.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the teachers union walked away from negotiations over evaluations. At stake for the city: up to $450 million.

Bloomberg said the United Federation of Teachers "unilaterally walked away from our negotiations" at about 3 a.m. Thursday.

He said one sticking point was that the union wanted the entire agreement to sunset in June 2015. But, he said, the process of removing an ineffective teacher takes two years.

The union blamed Bloomberg for the breakdown in talks.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew said the "intransigence" of the Bloomberg administration made it impossible to reach agreement on a new teacher evaluation system.